WESTLAND, MI - A local Golden Corral franchise has settled a lawsuit brought by the federal government after employees of the Westland restaurant in May 2011 denied service to a family that suffers from a skin disorder.

The U.S. Attorney's office announced Wednesday that Golden Corral will pay $50,000 in damages to Danielle Duford and her four daughters, plus $10,000 in government penalties.

The Justice Department cited the Americans with Disabilities Act in the lawsuit, accusing the restaurant of ordering Duford and her children to leave in because of the appearance of the girls' skin, affected by a disorder known as epidermolysis bullosa, which causes blisters in response to minor injuries and temperature changes.

"Despite Ms. Duford informing the restaurant manager of her children’s disability and repeatedly emphasizing that they did not have a contagious disease, the manager required the family to immediately leave the restaurant, claiming that he had received complaints from other customers," the U.S. Attorney's office alleged.

The settlement also requires the franchise to "develop and maintain a non-discrimination policy which covers service to customers with disabilities at the Golden Corral restaurant, and provide training to their employees on their obligations under the ADA."

“No one should be excluded from participating in the basic activities of daily living on account of fears of their disability, nor should children be shamed from going out in public,” said Eve Hill of the attorney general's civil rights division in a statement.